Lagos, the hot pot of Nigeria's economy by the virtue of having sea port and robust international airport has always been in the news. Some news are good and others not so good . The ease of doing business in Lagos is one hell of a thing and with many agencies and taxmen available, one must always find ingenious means to to do business in this jungle called Lagos !

Ambode the governor of Lagos has taken the business readiness of the state to a new level with his Land Tenement Rates and the new increase, though still open to deliberations and negotiations. One thing with this law is that if it eventually get a nod by the "Duke" of Lagos, businesses would leave Lagos and Lagos would loose the critical funds they intend to get .

They said that Lagos is amongst the top 5 economies of Africa, a big fallacy just like the way they said that Nigeria is giant of Africa in economy but recent statistics has shown that the country isn't even in the top 6 economies of the continent and ease of doing business in Nigeria and Lagos inclusively abysmally low.

Coming to doing businesses in Lagos, the ease of doing business in Lagos can be likened to the ease a camel would use to pass through the eye of needle. That's how Lagos can be out into place, with tons of bottlenecks from land acquisition, rates, tax , agencies , touts and periodic harassments by government and non government official couples with inconsistency in government policies... you would understand that doing business in Lagos requires special skills and one of these skills are lay low and avoid paying some rates, though not right but for any business to survive ,what is right or wrong should be left for moralist not businessman. So, some rates and even taxes would be dodged and this is loss of critical funds to Lagos and in some cases capital flight to some states .

Lately, Lagos is planning to increase the cost of documentation of cars. Now the loss of revenue to the state is better imagined. Lagos State to increase cost of Road Worthiness, Private cars to pay up to 3,850 and SUVs to pay up to 4,600. Now can somebody tell me why wouldn't I take a stroll to nearby Ogun state and have my car papers done, by the way Abeokuta in Ogun state isn't up to 30 minutes drive or when I go to East or any part of the country during the cause of business travel utilise that time to have my papers done! As you can see the loss to Lagos would be there ! https://etimes.com.ng/will-the-new-lagos-state-tenement-law-be-a-gloom-or-boom-for-businesses-in-lagos/



You know with the advent of technology people can do business anywhere....all you need is a virtual office . I Jane seen many firms with office in far north but 80 percent of their customers are in Lagos ...even Ogun state are taking firms away from Lagos...when you ask these firms why not in Lagos...they would tell you that Lagos kills business and that is a fact.

Lagos is one city that kills any business and that is why many firms in Lagos don't even have a signpost ,they would not want Lagos to come with their over taxing wahala and also signpost issue. They have come to understand that Lagos is one huge monster that would stifle any business....to succeed as a start up in Lagos, you have two options , lay low and don't you ever open an office with a signpost or work from a residential apartment . Failure to do these you would have Feds , the Lagos State revenue , the business premises registration, the local council, the guys asking for borehole clearance , if you have mast the monster of environment and all manner of agencies .

Smart alecs and folks understand this and they have found ways to go around this situation by either operating in a residential environment with no signpost or take the business out of Lagos State and make money from Lagos State. This is what Lagos has done and is doing.

I am thinking that Lagos doesn't understand the concept of tax holidays for start up and tax exemption is a foreign concept , with Ambode increment of so many things which include the Tenement Rates, one thing I am sure of is this , business would relocate, online based SMEs would find ways to go about the rates. A compnay can move it's headquarters or operational base from Lagos to Ogun or Abuja but still maintains their customer base.

Countries of these world like Switzerland, Luxembourg, Namibia etc attracts investment by offering great environment, great infrastructure and good tax systems but as it stands with Lagos, the state is offering what I don't know for investors . In Lagos it is all about pay ,pay and pay and the question is what are these money used for ? We have seen beautification of streets, but we haven't seen the removal of touts from the streets that would enable the so called beautification take place.


https://etimes.com.ng/will-the-new-lagos-state-tenement-law-be-a-gloom-or-boom-for-businesses-in-lagos/

noted

Ok

More money to the godfathers purse

Which kind ridiculous question be this. It will be a boom for T h i e f n u b u's business of milking Lagos dry.

This won't be nice for the masses o. Buhari, see wetin you cause?

Hmm

Yesss

Abi nah

Biased analysis.
Learn to paraphrase.

First you started with a question and diverted into something different.
A state like lagos is very expensive to maintain and with limited resources, can only generate funds through adequate taxation, having put in place certain infrastructure.

Upcoming states can decide to give tax windows, except to certain type of ventures it is deciding to draw or maintain in the state Lagos does not need to do that.

You Are Not Wrong My Brother. But In The Other View, This Madness Is A Goodnews For Other States In Nigeria. You Know, Since Doing Business In Lagos Is Gradually Turning Into Hell. Some Businesses Will Start Relocating To States Outside Lagos With Better Business Environment, Without That Mentality Of If Not Lagos, Then Its No Where. Everyone Now Knows That Lagos Is A Big Parasite Hosting Its Preys. Its Left For Other States To Take Advantage Of ...

All the increments that happened in the last one year in lagos is what I call political grand theft auto. To think Mr Ambode knows the state of the Nigerian economy and it's harsh realities on businesses and struggling citizens but yet insisted on those increases is the highest point of insensitivity. I have a strong feeling that the proceeds is for another grand propaganda come 2019.
But to think the man is willing to crucify himself on the road even before he gets to golgota says a lot about the kinds of hands pressing him on the neck... and also the kind of governor he would be in his 2nd term (that really scares me). But yeah, let's pretend the law is only going to affect the yeebos. By the way OP, the post is incoherent... what manner of fuckerry is that huh?

Perfectly written article. When we keep singing praise of the Tinubu dynasty that's the result. Exploitation.

I wonder what leaders like Lateef Jakande and Awolowo will be thinking wherever they are. Jakande housing scheme is still being felt till date by the masses and without mincing of words I think it's the most successful mass housing scheme in Nigeria so far. We must tell ourselves the truth. Tinubu and his puppets have not done anything worthy of mention for the masses.

They are simply supplying the needs of the elites at the expense of the masses that is why they keep grabbing lands from indigenous people without any monetary settlement, only to build sky scrappers for the elites. At every junction you have touts collecting insane amount of money on a daily basis while there is a huge pothole at the same junction.

I hope that at some point we will ask ourselves is development made for Man or Man made for development. In the case of Lagos it's obviously the later.

We must contribute to the development of Lagos. European countries re also heavily taxed.

lagosians are slaves

ambode just shot himself

Seriously, the Tax/Rates is quite annoying.
I find it difficult to understand what brought me to Lagos to set up business.

The writer of this article is a complete idiot.

Apart from the joy he derived from tarnishing his country's image, he backed it up with stupid and tribalistic lies.

It is apparent that the write is probably a Biafran or simply a wasted sperm.

To day Lagos is not on the top 6 in Africa, so nonchalantly, is a crime of its own.

As at May 2017, Lagos was the 7th Largest economy in Africa.

https://qz.com/676819/lagos-is-africas-7th-largest-economy-and-is-about-to-get-bigger-with-its-first-oil-finds/amp/

As at Nov 2017, it was the fifth largest.

https://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/11/lagos-emerged-fifth-largest-economy-africa/amp/

https://qz.com/676819/lagos-is-africas-7th-largest-economy-and-is-about-to-get-bigger-with-its-first-oil-finds/amp/

AND TO SAY LAGOS KILLS BUSINESS, THEN HE IS NOTHING BUT A NITWIT.


NOW, to now cite your stupid and wannabe website with zero statistical ground, that Nigeria is not even one of the biggest economy in Africa, then he completes his idiocy.

This is the new ranking as at Jan 2018 from world bank.

http://nigeria.opendataforafrica.org/mhrzolg/gdp-by-country-statistics-from-the-world-bank-1960-2016?country=Nigeria

U can compare with other countries.


Arrow!!!

We have leaders with zero economy sense, and some monkeys will b shouting 'good good'. They re just draging the economy down.

Most leaders take up initiatives without doing a simple cost benefit analysis. However, when it comes to Lagos, I don't think our perceived doom that'll befall the state will not be as significant as we put it. My focus is on the land use tariff now. Lagos is the entertainment hub of Nigeria. It's where most organization have their headquarters. Therefore I don't see people leaving the state as we think. Man will always find a way to survive. So I think the state might experience a drop in revenue on the short run. If they stand to their ground, people will give in and in the middle and long runs, the state will experience the expected rise in revenue from that tariff.

For that of road worthiness, how many people who work form 7am-6pm will have time to go to other states? They'll give in at some point. With early resistance first yes but they'll throw in the towel later. My opinion though...

Ok

That's what you get when you install bumpkins into power.

The Nigerian government is one of the laziest governments of n the world. It wants to raise billions through tax alone and as a result, it is overtaxing its citizens.

Tax/charges is only one source of income for the government. What happened to income from tourism, state owned corporations and revenue from investment funds.

The high taxes that Lagos govt has been enjoying have not been used for anything reasonable.

Many people pay land use charge, yet their roads are not tarred. Where is the electricity to support manufacturing companies and other businesses? Schools have to pay police for security for children.

What are theses taxes and fines used for? Hmmm?

Jozzy1063:
We must contribute to the development of Lagos. European countries re also heavily taxed.

with the paye i pay everymonth. I still pay for generator fuel, pay for gutter construction in my street, pay 600 toll gate per day. Etc. May God punish ambode,tinubu,alpha beta and lirs

I really can't fault his policy, the last time I did his people came for my head.

Welcome to Nigeria.
Eko barje

If you talk, online intelleshuas will say "go back to your village" as if these draconian taxes will affect only the "villagers" I laugh in kuvuki

Lagos having it all, Nigeria don't want to have another seaport in another part of the country.

How will the county grow.

Lagos state simply created an opportunity for other states especially Ogun State. The greed of Tinubu and cohorts will make Lagos fall from grace to grass.
Some of the greatest opportunity sprung out from necessity .
I've been telling anyone who wish to hear to "leave the hype of Lagos and go have even if its a little investment your hometown", this one is yet another warning.

Jimi Agbaje would have been a better option but some oloriburuku's voted APC.
The Oba that endorsed APC and threatened people with drowning wouldn't pay any of these tax and that should teach most Lagosians a deep lesson.

It seems APC has strike an agreement with PDP to make the next election easier for PDP

AFONJA going to pay more in rentals... we will increase the rent of our properties to 500%... either u pay or u go back to your respective villages